Hi there this is Monica Reinagle and you're listening to the

nutrition diva quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous

today's quick and dirty nutrition tip is about sodium.

Most of us get about twice the recommended amount.

Where's all that sodium coming from?

And more importantly, why should you care?

These answers and more coming up on today's show. Now for today's episode.

The recommended maximum intake for sodium

is about 2,400 milligrams a day,

and that's roughly 1 teaspoon of table salt.

Now, most Americans end up eating about twice that much, and that upsets the people whose job it is to worry about

your health. And I'm not to worry about your health.

And I'm not just talking about your mother and me.

There are whole government agencies that lay awake at night

worrying about your sodium intake.

Their main concern is that eating a lot of salt can raise your blood pressure and that can be quite dangerous.

Now in all honesty a high sodium diet doesn't lead to high blood pressure in everyone.

And some people have high blood pressure

even when they eat a very low sodium diet.

But public health policy is all about playing the numbers.

The government figures that if everyone ate less salt fewer people would develop

high blood pressure, have strokes and die, and that would be a good thing.

...